Microorganisms and Disease Overview

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the lecture about microorganisms, their effects on health, and interactions with the immune system.

Microorganisms

Diverse organisms including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa that can infect humans and animals.

Pathogens

Agents that cause disease, which include various types of microorganisms.

Zoonotic Infections

Infections that are transmitted from animals to humans, significantly impacting public health.

Millennium Development Goals

Eight international development goals established by the UN aimed at improving life and reducing disease by 2015.

Innate Immune System

The body's first line of defense against pathogens, involving physical barriers and immune responses that do not adapt or evolve.

Adaptive Immune System

A specific immune response that develops over time and provides long-lasting protection against pathogens.

Virulence Factors

Molecular mechanisms used by pathogens to invade host organisms and cause disease.

Microbiome

The collection of microorganisms living in and on the human body, playing a crucial role in health and disease.

CFR (Case Fatality Rate)

The proportion of deaths from a certain disease compared to the total number of cases of that disease.

Hygiene Hypothesis

The theory suggesting that a lack of early childhood exposure to infectious agents increases susceptibility to allergic diseases.

Co-infection

The simultaneous infection of a host by multiple pathogens, which may complicate disease outcomes.

British Triad of Infectious Diseases

Infectious diseases, noncommunicable diseases, and the social determinants of health that interact to impact health outcomes.

Public Health Interventions

Strategies implemented to control or prevent the spread of infectious diseases and promote health.

Opportunistic Infections

Infections that take advantage of a weakened immune system, often seen in individuals with prior health conditions.

Vaccines

Biological preparations that provide acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease.

Antibiotic Resistance

The ability of bacteria and other microorganisms to resist the effects of medications that once could successfully treat them.

One Health

The concept that human health, animal health, and environmental health are interconnected.

Trachoma

A bacterial infection of the eye caused by Chlamydia that leads to preventable blindness.

Schistosomiasis

A disease caused by parasitic worms that can result in severe health complications.

COVID-19

A viral infectious disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, leading to a global pandemic.